1. Field of the Invention.
This invention relates to the field of retainer arrangements for removably attaching flexible tops to vehicle bodies.
2. Discussion of the Background.
Providing effective retainer arrangements for attaching tops to vehicle bodies has always presented challenging design problems. These problems are particularly prevalent in sport utility, convertible, and other vehicles which have flexible tops of fabric-like material such as canvas or vinyl which are removable for an open air feeling or service. Co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,854 taught a very effective approach to accomplish this in which a belt or flange was attached to the edge of the flexible, fabric top and inserted into a U-shaped channel mounted on the vehicle body. In doing so, the flexible top was first pulled taut and stretched a half inch or so. This placed the resilient top under a slight tension as the belt was manually manipulated into the channel; and, the resulting tension was then used to maintain the belt with the attached top in the channel. The present invention is an improvement over this basic design.